Berche a leader on, off the field

When she isn't playing soccer, which is most of the time, Standard-Times Girls Soccer Player of the Year Kayli Berche volunteers as a peer mediator at Fairhaven High.

Ed Collins

When she isn't playing soccer, which is most of the time, Kayli Berche volunteers as a peer mediator at Fairhaven High School.

"It's all about working with people and resolving conflicts," said Berche, The Standard-Times Girls Soccer Player of the Year who's considering a career in nursing. "You have to listen to both sides and try to reach a solution that works for everyone."

On the soccer field, Berche was good at putting goals on the scoreboard and setting up scoring chances for her teammates. The Blue Devils ran their offense through her at forward, and they qualified for the state tournament in all four of her seasons.

"Kayli played with a lot of energy. There was no quit in her and she played with no fear," Fairhaven coach Derek Galvam said. "Everybody on the team respected her for the way she played the game. She scored a lot of goals for us, but she also set up a lot of scoring chances for her teammates."

Berche (20 goals, six assists) and senior forward Emma Morehead (16 goals, five assists) were one of the most dangerous scoring tandems in the area. They played key roles in helping the Blue Devils reach the quarterfinals of the Div. 3 South Sectional.

"We've played a lot of soccer together and we were very comfortable with each other," Berche said. "We knew where to find each other on the field and we played well off each other."

Berche scored her 50th career goal for the Blue Devils in an 8-1 first-round win over South Shore Christian in the Div. 3 South Sectional. It proved to be her last goal at Fairhaven, which saw its season end a couple of days later in a 1-0 loss to Ursuline in the quarterfinals.

"That was a nice number to reach, but we were hoping to make a deep run in the tournament and the season ended a little quicker than we wanted it to," Berche said.

Berche, who started playing in the Mariner Youth Soccer League when she was 7 years old, said she grew as a player for the Blue Devils.

"I learned how to play my position better," Berche said. "I got better at anticipating where the ball was going and knowing where my teammates were on the field. That made me a better overall player and a better team player."

WHY SHE WAS SELECTED: Proved to be one of the most technically-sound players in the area. Used her ball skills to get past defenders. Did a great job finishing her scoring chances. Teamed with senior forward Emma Morehead to give the Blue Devils a potent 1-2 scoring punch that resulted in a combined 36 goals and 11 assists. Earned South Coast Conference, Eastern Mass., All-State, and All-New England All-Star honors.

KEY STATS: Scored 20 goals and notched six assists this season. Finished with 50 goals for her career.

MVP MOMENT: Scored a second-half insurance goal to help the Blue Devils notch a 2-0 win over Old Rochester on Sept. 12. The victory marked the first time that Fairhaven's seniors came out on top against the Lady Bulldogs in their four-year careers.

APPONEQUET COACH ROBIN IRELAND SAYS: "Kayli was one of the better scorers and playmakers in the conference. We tried to keep her away from the ball, because she was Fairhaven's quarterback and she set the tone for them on offense."

NOTES: Has her college choices narrowed down to UMass Amherst, Mount Ida and Fitchburg State. Expects to major in nursing. ... Likes to eat buffalo chicken wings with sour cream.

Was impressive in her first varsity season as a complete, all-around player who earned South Coast Conference All-Star honors. ... Scored eight goals and notched four assists as a midfielder for the Lady Bulldogs. ... "Sarah came in and made a major impact for us with her ball skills and her speed," Old Rochester coach Jeff Lombard said. "She started right away and she helped us with her field awareness, passing, energy, and desire to do whatever she could to help the team."

A forward with good speed and tremendous ball skills, Chaput scored 16 goals en route to being named a South Coast Conference All-Star for the league-champion Lakers. ... "Andrea was a great finisher around the net and she was good at creating scoring chances," Apponequet coach Robin Ireland said. "If you gave her a yard of space, she was already past you. She had a real nose for the net and she was a great finisher who took full advantage of her scoring chances."

Played a full season after missing half of her junior year with a broken hand. ... Came back strong to notch 11 shutouts and earn South Coast Conference All-Star honors. ... Anchored a good defense that helped the Lakers win their first-ever SCC championship. ... "Abby is fearless and we were thrilled to have her back in net," Apponequet coach Robin Ireland said. "She's not big, but she can jump and she has good hands. She covered a lot of ground in front of the net on corner kicks."

Scored her 100th career goal with two seconds left to tie a playoff game against Nantucket in her finale with the Cougars. ... Finished with 34 goals and 10 assists this season en route to being named the Mayflower Athletic Conference's Player of the Year. ... "Amanda was a four-year starter who came in and made an immediate impact with her scoring," Old Colony coach Paul Sleight said. "She helped turn our program around. She has a natural talent for putting the ball in the net."

A team leader who never came off the field, Leite finished with 10 goals and four assists as a midfielder for the Lady Bears. ... Earned South Coast Conference All-Star honors. ... "Amanda was one of our co-captains and she earned the respect of all her teammates," GNB Voc-Tech coach Rosanne Franco said. "She was a good playmaker who was very unselfish with the ball. She had a good nose for the ball and scored a lot of goals on rebounds around the net."

A Big 3 Conference All-Star for the second straight year, Lima was a rock-steady sweeper who was versatile enough to score two goals for the Whalers this past season. ... "Kaitlyn read games very well and she was good at distributing the ball to our midfielders and forwards," New Bedford coach Nick Adams said. "She took our free kicks and corner kicks and she was a tough defender with good vision and the ability to anticipate what was going to happen and react quickly."

A tough forward who played hurt all season, Morehead was still able to score 16 goals and notch five assists despite having to battle against constant double teams. ... Earned South Coast Conference and Eastern Mass. All-Star honors. ... "Emma was a coach on the field who read games well and was very good at attacking the net," Fairhaven coach Derek Galvam said. "She went from being a shooter to a scorer as a junior and she was a big weapon for us her last two seasons."

A three-year starter for the Blue Devils, Pereira was a dominant defender at sweeper who worked well this past season with goalies Katie Langlois and Taylor Canastra. ... Was named a South Coast Conference All-Star. ... "Cecille did everything we asked of her on defense," Fairhaven coach Derek Galvam said. "She was quick and tough, and she played with no fear. She played with a lot of confidence and never got rattled. She knew exactly what to do with the ball in every situation."

One of the smoothest, steadiest players in the area, Ryan was a quick and dependable sweeper for the Lakers. ... Played every minute of every game and was a nice weapon on offense with her deep throw-ins. ... Scored two goals and was named a South Coast Conference All-Star. ... "Taylor was always in position and she read games well. Her anticipation skills made her a tough defender," Apponequet coach Robin Ireland said. "She was a clean tackler who had no fouls this season."

A three-year starter in net for the Indians, who won their fifth straight Old Colony League title, Stott proved to be an athletic leader and good communicator with her defense. ... Allowed only 14 goals in 17.5 games. ... Finished with a 0.80 goals-against average and 10 shutouts en route to being named an OCL All-Star. ... "Morgan was our anchor on defense," Dartmouth coach Mark Poirier said. "She was always there to make the big save when we needed it."

Had a breakout season on offense with 19 goals and six assists. ... Did a nice job pulling the ball out of the air as a midfielder and going on the attack. ... Was named a South Coast Conference All-Star. ... Is leaning toward Bridgewater State as her college choice. ... "Tori did a great job finishing her scoring chances," GNB Voc-Tech coach Rosanne Franco said. "She improved each season and she was able to use her speed and ball-control skills to spark our offense."

Made a big impact on offense for the Lady Bears, finishing with 13 goals and three assists. ... Had a good nose for the ball, created scoring chances in traffic, and held her own against double teams en route to earning South Coast Conference All-Star honors.

Scored eight goals and did a nice job setting the offense in motion with her passing skills at midfield. ... Saw the field well. ... Used her size and strength to give the Lakers a physical presence in the center of the field. ... Earned South Coast Conference All-Star honors.

Proved to be a well-rounded player who was willing to do whatever it took to help the team. ... A vocal leader who kept her teammates on the same page, Bouvette helped the team all over the field as a midfielder and a fullback. ... Earned South Coast Conference honors.

Played with a non-stop style that allowed her to score five goals and notch five assists. ... Used her experience and skills to control the midfield. ... Won a lot of balls in the air and made a lot of good runs with the ball. ... Was named a Mayflower League All-Star.

A Big 3 Conference All-Star, Cormier scored six goals and was very involved on offense as an attacking midfielder for the Whalers. ... Stepped up her game with a lot of determination. ... Was also very good at getting back on defense in the center of the field.

A stopper, a midfielder, and a forward for the Cougars, the versatile Gordon played with energy all over the field en route to being named a Mayflower League All-Star. ... Played every minute of every game. ... Put a lot of head shots on net off corner kicks.

A very aggressive midfielder, Pereira was all over the place for the Blue Devils. ... Came back with improved ball skills and proved to be a tough one-on-one defender who marked up against the opposition's top offensive player. ... Played with non-stop energy.

Proved to be a versatile player at center midfielder and forward. ... Played with a lot of balance on offense, finishing with six goals and five assists. ... Gave the offense a spark with her attacks and passing skills. ... Earned Eastern Athletic Conference All-Star honors.

Scored 10 goals and notched seven assists in her first season as a starter after coming in off the bench last year. ... Helped the Indians win their fifth straight Old Colony League title. ... Put the ball in the net, was a good passer and earned OCL All-Star honors.

A forward with good speed and ball skills, Souza finished as the Whalers' leading goal scorer with 11. ... A Big 3 Conference All-Star, she played right fullback against teams with attacks on the wing. ... Put a lot of pressure on the net and was deadly on penalty kicks.

A four-year starter for the Lady Vikings, Torraco never missed a minute of action. ... Proved to be a tough fullback who marked up against the opposition's top offensive player. ... Played with a lot of heart and did a nice job defending near the net.

Gave the Indians a physical presence in the middle of the field. ... Did a nice job settling the ball and setting the team's offense in motion with her passing. ... Scored one goal and notched five assists. ... Helped the Indians win their fifth straight Old Colony League title.